About Blake Shaw

I am a photographer based in San Diego. I now specialize in bird photography, but also regularly photograph scenes of Mexico, Route 66, tennis, bicycle racing, flowers, and people. My work hangs in galleries in San Diego and elsewhere, and I am available for slide shows, lectures, and exhibitions.

June 28, 2015

June 27, 2015

The Northern Cardinal has always been one of my nemesis birds, a very common bird that just never posed properly for my camera. In all of my travels to where they are common (they are not native to southern California), I never took a photo I was pleased with.

My drought ended at Maumee Bay State Park, where this cardinal posed in a nice setting.

The softness of the edges of the photo come from out of focus green leaves in front of the cardinal.

June 26, 2015

Last month I spent a week in Ohio and southern Ontario, Canada, in search of migrating birds.

Migrating warblers will pause at the shores of Lake Erie before crossing north, and again congregate at landing spots at the opposite side after flying across or around the lake.

Birders and bird photographers also congregate at these spots! I have never in my life seen so many people equipped with binoculars and cameras.

It was my first time as a bird photographer traveling in the eastern United States, so every day brought new birds for me. While photographing in forests was a challenge, I managed to get at least a few shots I was pleased with.

Here is a Black-throated Green Warbler. The green in the bird's name refers to the olive tinge of the shoulders and olive stripes in the head. This was photographed at Magee Marsh, Ohio.

June 23, 2015

Peter Sagan prepares to launch his final acceleration in the Pasadena stage. Mark Cavendish follows directly on his wheel.

Cavendish, teammate of Julian Alaphilippe, would win the stage, but Peter Sagan would finish third in a photo-finish just ahead of Tyler Farrar, to clinch a thrilling overall victory in the 2015 Tour of California.

June 22, 2015

Leading into the final sprint of the final stage of the Tour of California, Peter Sagan needed to finish in third place or better to gain a time bonus which would give him the victory over Julian Alaphilippe.

Here, a few hundred meters from the finish line, his Tinkoff Saxo teammate (in the lime-green jersey) looks over his shoulder to see if Sagan (behind, with lime-green sleeves) is in proper position to take advantage of his lead-out.